THE Pivotal Moment in History
by Colonel Arbuckle
Summary: Mr. Peabody has taken Sherman on some pretty fantastic adventures in the WABAC, but when Sherman finds out that Penny isn't a Christian, Mr. Peabody will take the kids on their most incredible trip yet, to THE pivotal moment in history, the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus. Includes several periodic hints at Penmanship.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Mr. Peabody has taken Sherman on some pretty fantastic adventures in the WABAC, but when Sherman finds out that Penny isn't a Christian, Mr. Peabody will take the kids on their most incredible trip yet, to THE pivotal moment in history, the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus. I know this story is a little late for Easter, but school work does comes first. This will be a nine part story, with chapters posted daily starting tomorrow. The story is already written so I cannot accept suggestions that majorly affect the plot, but reviews are always welcome. I realize that the story starts out a little slow, but if you stick with it, you won't be sorry! A considerable amount of the dialogue in this story is based on the episode "The Imagination Station" from the radio drama Adventures in Odyssey. Sources for this story include "The Imagination Station," "Killing Jesus" by Bill O'Reilly, and of course the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Mr. Peabody and Sherman, Adventures in Odyssey, "Killing Jesus," "Killing Lincoln," "Killing Kennedy," "The Last Days of Jesus," Boeing, and American Pickers belong to their respective owners. I own nothing but the plot. That being said, please enjoy THE Pivotal Moment in History!

**THE Pivotal Moment in History**

**Susan B. Anthony Academy Cafeteria, Wednesday 16 April 2014, 11:45 AM**

It had been several months since "the incident" with the WABAC and things had pretty much returned to normal. Sherman and Penny were discussing a recently assigned science project over lunch.

"Well, I figured that since our current topic of study in science is astronomy, we could do something with that," Sherman was saying.

"That's a good idea," Penny replied. "We could do it on solar eclipses. We could even build a model to demonstrate how it works."

"I like that," Sherman continued. "You can come over to the penthouse and we can work on it."

"Okay," Penny said. "How about Monday evening?"

"We can't do it Monday," Sherman answered. "The CEO of Boeing is coming over for dinner."

"Well, how about next Wednesday?" Penny tried again.

"Sorry, General Dempsey is coming that night," Sherman responded.

"Good grief, Sherman," Penny sighed. "It seems like every night you and Mr. Peabody always have someone coming over for dinner!"

"Not every night!" Sherman protested.

"I'll bet you had someone over last night, didn't you?" Penny accused.

"Well…yes," Sherman admitted.

"I thought so," Penny said. "Who was it this time?"

"Uh-uh," Sherman replied. "You have to guess. I'll even give you a hint. It's not an athlete or government official."

"Come on Sherman, just tell me. Who did you have over for dinner last night?" Penny persisted.

"Nice try. You know how this works. You have to guess," Sherman replied with a smirk. He knew she was just toying with him. She liked this guessing game they played just as much as he did.

"Ugghh. Okay, let's see. You said it's not an athlete?"

"Right."

"And it's not a government official."

"Two for two."

"Did you say it was a he?"

"I didn't say, but yes, it was a guy."

"Let's see. Is he on TV a lot?"

"Every weeknight."

"Is he an actor?"

"Strike one. Besides, what scripted show is on EVERY weeknight?"

"You're right. Hmm. Is he a news anchor?"

"Of sorts."

"Local or national?"

"National."

"Works for CNN?"

"Strike two."

"Dang." She thought for a minute. "FOX News."

"Yes."

"Number one rated cable news show 14 years running?"

"That was oddly specific, but also yes." Sherman was now grinning from ear to ear and bouncing up and down in his seat.

"Bill O'Reilly."

"Yeah! Isn't it incredible!" Sherman couldn't contain his excitement any longer. "Mr. Peabody helped him with the research for "Killing Lincoln" and "Killing Kennedy" and now he's helping him with the book he's writing about World War II. He's really an incredible man!"

"Yeah, I know," Penny replied with a smile, amused at the boy's excitement. "My dad watches his show as often as he can. Sometimes I watch it with him."

"So does Mr. Peabody. And look, he even signed my book for me!" said Sherman as he pulled a book out of his backpack to show Penny.

"The Last Days of Jesus?" Penny questioned as her smile fell.

"Yeah, Mr. Peabody bought it for me last week." Sherman replied as he opened the book to show Penny the signature, but she didn't even look.

"Oh. I didn't realize you were into that sort of thing, Sherman."

"What do you mean that sort of thing?" asked Sherman slowly as he set the book on the table, realizing Penny wasn't looking at it.

"Religion. The Bible. I mean, it's okay that you believe in it, I don't mind, I'm just surprised is all. Besides, it's kind of old fashioned, don't you think? Stuff about what you can do and what you can't do. If I need to change something I can figure it out on my own, right?"

"Well, I-" Sherman started, a little surprised by Penny's reaction.

"And then there are the stories," Penny continued with a dismissive tone in her voice.

"The stories?" Sherman asked.

"Yeah. The Creation, Noah's ark, Daniel and Goliath-"

"You mean David and Goliath," Sherman corrected.

"Whatever. My parents make me listen to those stories on CD, and well, I prefer REAL history."

"Real history?" Sherman asked confused.

"O come now Sherman. You don't really believe that the universe was just spoken into existence in six days, or that a flood destroyed everything on Earth except for eight people and some animals, or that a little shepherd killed a giant with a slingshot of all things, do you?"

"Well, yeah!" responded Sherman, who was now very concerned.

"Oh, Sherman," Penny scoffed. "Listen, I don't want to talk about it anymore. Do you have your arithmetic homework? I had a question on one of the problems and I wanted to see how you did it."

"Um, sure," Sherman replied despondently as he pulled the paper from his backpack. Sherman wasn't as talkative the rest of lunch and he didn't raise his hand once in class the rest of the day.

**Mr. Peabody's Penthouse, Wednesday 16 April 2014, 6:00 PM**

Mr. Peabody had noticed that Sherman wasn't his normal chipper self when he picked him up from school that day, but every time Mr. Peabody asked him what was wrong, he would just say "Nothing's wrong," or "I'm fine," or "I'm just tired," or some other deflecting response. Mr. Peabody was concerned, but he couldn't seem to break through and convince his son to talk. He prayed his son was okay. He decided that he would discuss the matter with the Petersons over dinner that night. You see, it had become something of a tradition in the preceding months that Mr. Peabody and the Petersons would go out for dinner one night a month and tonight was that night this month. Mr. Peabody was all ready to go and the babysitter had just arrived.

"Sherman, Mrs. Bolling is here," Mr. Peabody called down the hall to Sherman's room.

"Okay, I'm coming," Sherman replied. A minute later he stood at the door.

"Before I go Sherman, are you sure there isn't anything you want to talk about?" asked Mr. Peabody.

"I told you Mr. Peabody, I'm fine. Shouldn't you get going? You're going to be late," Sherman answered.

"The Petersons can wait if there's something you need to tell me Sherman. You know that I always have time for you if there is something you need to tell me," Mr. Peabody explained.

"Yes, I know, I know, Mr. Peabody. Really, nothing's wrong. I'm fine."

Mr. Peabody sighed. "Well, alright then. You be good for Mrs. Bolling and I should be home around nine or so. Now give me a hug, okay?"

"Okay."

As they released from the hug, Mr. Peabody said, "Something else I want you to remember Sherman: I love you, more than you might realize, but even more important, God loves you. Always remember that, okay?" This seemed to strike a nerve with Sherman, who was hesitant to respond.

"I…I know, Mr. Peabody. I…well, um…I know," Sherman finally said as he looked down at his feet.

"Okay, well, I'll see you tonight. Goodbye Sherman. Thanks again, Adrienne," Mr. Peabody said as he walked out.

"No trouble at all, Peabody," Mrs. Bolling replied.

"Goodbye, Mr. Peabody," Sherman called out.

"Goodbye, Sherman," Mr. Peabody called back. And then to himself, "God be with you."

**Author's Note:** Will Mr. Peabody be able to figure out what's bugging Sherman? Keep reading to find out! Reviews welcome!


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Previously on "THE Pivotal Moment in History," something is bugging Sherman and Mr. Peabody is trying to figure out what it is. But first, he has a dinner date with the Petersons. Let's listen in to the conversation.

**Luigi's Italian Restaurant, Wednesday 16 April 2014, 7:15 PM**

"I must say, Peabody, this was an outstanding choice of restaurant for dinner tonight," said Paul Peterson as he scooped a bite of lasagna into his mouth.

"Yes, it is, isn't it," Peabody replied, "It was actually recommended to me by a friend from Boeing who found it while he was here on business."

"Didn't you do some consulting work with them recently on that new mid-air refueler for the Air Force?" Patty asked.

"I helped them redesign the boom operator's station on the KC-46, yes," Peabody replied. "It was really quite simple. The only major difference between it and Boeing's previous tankers is now they have the boom operator right behind the pilots instead of in the tail. It only took about a day for me to lay out the designs."

"It must be nice to have everything come so easy to you," said Paul.

"Well…maybe not everything," said Peabody as he looked down at his plate.

"What do you mean?" Patty asked.

"Well, like raising children for example."

"Oh, we know what you mean there," Patty replied with a slight chuckle.

"Oh?" Peabody was curious.

"Yes, well, I know I wasn't the best father before 'the incident', so I've been trying to be more involved in Penny's life, and that includes having a family Bible reading time," Paul began. "So Penny got home from school today, and everything seemed fine. She finished her homework right away and went about her business. Well, when I tried to get the family together to have our devotion, Penny blew up!"

"What do you mean, 'blew up?'" Mr. Peabody asked.

"She went off like a firecracker, Peabody," Patty replied. "She began screaming about how we were 'forcing religion down her throat' and then she said something about how she couldn't seem to escape it, no matter where she went. She said she had a conversation with Sherman at school today about it. I guess that was part of what set her off."

"That must have been what was bothering Sherman this afternoon," Peabody said to himself.

"We've tried all sorts of things to get her interested, Peabody," said Paul. "I went through our Bible at home and tried to pick out some of the interesting stories and we have her listen to Bible stories on CD, but nothing seems to work. We don't know what we're going to do about her. We're really concerned."

Peabody sat quietly, thinking for a minute. A plan was starting to come together in his mind. "I think I may have an idea," he finally said. "Let me pick up Penny tomorrow at school and take her back to our place. If my idea works out, it may solve a lot of our problems."

**Mr. Peabody's Penthouse, Wednesday 16 April 2014, 9:00 PM**

"Sherman, I'm home!" Peabody called as he walked through the front door. He heard the TV on in the living room. As he walked in, he saw Sherman and Mrs. Bolling sitting on the couch watching an episode of American Pickers on the History Channel. Sherman didn't budge from his seat, but Mrs. Bolling came to meet Mr. Peabody in the entryway.

"He hasn't said ten words all evening, Peabody," said Mrs. Bolling. "I'm worried about him. He seems really upset about something."

"I know, Adrienne. I think I know what's going on. I'm going to talk to him tonight. Here's your $20. Tell Eric I said hi, okay."

"Okay, goodnight Peabody."

"Goodnight." Peabody walked over to the couch and took the seat previously occupied by Mrs. Bolling. "So where are they tonight?" he asked Sherman, referring to Mike and Frank on the show.

"Connecticut," came Sherman's clipped response.

"Mmm," Peabody sat silently for a minute before coming right to the point. "So, I heard you had an interesting conversation with Penny at lunch today."

"You heard about that?" Sherman asked, tears welling up in his eyes.

"The Petersons told me at dinner tonight."

"She said none of it was true, Mr. Peabody. None of it!" Sherman began to sob.

"None of what was true, Sherman?"

"The Bible! No Creation, no Noah, no David and Goliath!"

"Oh my. What about Jesus?" Peabody asked.

"She didn't say anything, but you can only imagine what she was thinking!" Sherman said as he turned to Mr. Peabody and began to cry into his fur.

"Shh, shh, it's okay Sherman. It's okay," Mr. Peabody comforted as he rubbed Sherman's back. "She's just misguided, that's all. You can't let someone else's lack of faith affect your own."

"I know, Mr. Peabody, I know, but it's hard sometimes. I hear exactly what she was saying every day in school in science and history. And it sounds smart! It sounds convincing! But that's not the worst part of it." He took a deep breath to calm himself. "I care about her Mr. Peabody, and I'm scared for her. I'm terrified. If she doesn't know Jesus, what's going to happen to her when she dies?"

"That's why you need to pray for her Sherman," Mr. Peabody replied as he leaned over to turn off the TV. "You need to pray that God will open her mind and her heart to Him. First Corinthians 1:21 tells us that, 'in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God.' And as for the stuff they teach you in school, don't let that get to you. The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:5 'so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.' And 1 Corinthians 2:14 says 'But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.' You see Sherman, even though every piece of evidence in the universe confirms the Bible, those who don't know God, don't realize this confirmation or don't want to acknowledge this confirmation and try to come up with a way to get around it. As a scientist, the more I study the evidence in this world, the more I realize that God is real and that He loves us. But my faith is not based on this, and I don't come to realize this just by my own understanding, but because God has revealed it to me through my faith and trust in Him. Does that makes sense, Sherman?"

"Yes, it does Mr. Peabody, thank you. I feel a lot better now," Sherman replied as he dried his tears.

"I'm glad, Sherman," Mr. Peabody said. "Now, there's something I want you to do for me that might help Miss Peterson, other than pray for her of course."

"What's that, Mr. Peabody?" Sherman asked.

"You have a half day of school tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, for the start of Easter Break," Sherman replied.

"Okay. I want you to tell Penny that she will be coming home with us tomorrow. I've already cleared this with her parents, so she won't have to call them. There's a particular trip in the WABAC I've been hesitant to take you on in the past, but I think now is the appropriate time and I want Miss Peterson to accompany us," Mr. Peabody explained.

"Okay, Mr. Peabody," Sherman agreed.

"Good boy," Mr. Peabody smiled. "Now you'd better go get ready for bed. It's a school night."

"Okay, but before I do, can…can we pray for Penny?" Sherman asked.

Mr. Peabody absolutely beamed. "Why I think that's a wonderful idea, Sherman. Go ahead."

"Okay." Sherman bowed his head and Mr. Peabody did the same. "Dear Jesus, I want to pray for my friend Penny. She doesn't know You yet Jesus, but I want her to. Please show her how much You love her and please open her mind and her heart to You. Thank You for dying for us on the cross and forgiving our sins. Help us to do only what You want us to do. In Jesus name I pray, Amen."

"Amen. That was a wonderful prayer Sherman," Mr. Peabody said.

"Thank you Mr. Peabody," Sherman said as he went to go get ready for bed.

**Author's Note:** I have to admit, my eyes watered a little bit writing that prayer. How will Penny react when she finds out what Mr. Peabody has in mind? Keep reading to find out! Reviews welcome!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Thank you for all the kind reviews! I was a little nervous about how this story would be received, so the support is greatly appreciated. I'm going to be honest, this chapter is a bit slow, but it is necessary to set the stage for what's to come. By the way, something I forgot to mention in the last chapter, bragging rights go to the first person who can tell me who Sherman's babysitter, Adrienne Bolling, is. She is a real person and that is her real name. She's not very famous, but she is related to someone who is. Anyway, on with the story!

**Mr. Peabody's Penthouse, Thursday 17 April 2014, 2:00 PM**

Mr. Peabody and the kids had just finished having lunch and were stepping out of the elevator into the WABAC room.

"When are we going today, Mr. Peabody?" Sherman asked excitedly.

"Sherman my boy, we are going to THE pivotal moment in history: the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth," Mr. Peabody replied.

"Oh, THIS story," Penny said with a sneer. "I've heard it. He taught people and they killed Him and stuff."

"It's not as simple as that, Miss Peterson. Maybe you don't know the story as well as you think you might," said Mr. Peabody as they climbed the steps into the WABAC. "Sherman, set the WABAC for 9:00 AM local time on Sunday the 2d of April A.D. 30."

"And the place, Mr. Peabody?" Sherman asked as he dialed in the time.

"The Kidron Valley, one half mile from the eastern gates of Jerusalem," Mr. Peabody replied.

"Do I really have to go?" Penny whined.

"Well, I would really appreciate it if you did," replied Mr. Peabody. "Or are you afraid of being proven wrong?"

"Wrong about what?" Penny asked grumpily with her arms folded.

"Your parents told me about your conversation at lunch yesterday."

"I'm NOT wrong," Penny retorted.

"Perhaps. But think about it this way, Miss Peterson," said Mr. Peabody as he turned his chair to face her. "If you're right, you'll still have an exciting adventure in first century Jerusalem, and if you are wrong, well…wouldn't you want to know?"

Penny sat and thought for a moment.

"Please, Penny. I really want you to come!" Sherman pleaded.

Penny looked into Sherman's big brown eyes. The look he had when he pleaded with her was one she simply couldn't resist. She finally sighed. "Oh, alright. Perhaps we can finally put this whole thing to rest once and for all."

"Excellent!" exclaimed Mr. Peabody. "Then, Miss Peterson, if you will do us the honors."

"Huh?" Penny asked.

"Push the red button, Penny," explained Sherman.

"Oh," Penny pushed it and the WABAC began to levitate and hum until it vanished from the room.

**Kidron Valley, Sunday 2 April A.D. 30, 9:00 AM**

The now cloaked WABAC settled onto the desert floor with a low hum. As the three time travelers stepped out, now wearing period correct clothing, they could see a large number of people walking up the hill and into the city of Jerusalem.

"What are all these people doing here?" Penny asked as they began to follow the crowd.

"They are faithful Jews who are here to celebrate the Passover. It's a Jewish holiday when they celebrate their release from slavery in Egypt almost 1500 years ago," Sherman explained.

"And so are we," Mr. Peabody said. "If anyone asks, we are also here to observe the Passover. You are both orphans and I am your caretaker. Is that understood?" This was true in a roundabout sort of way, as Penny was still a spiritual orphan and Sherman was a physical orphan.

"Yes, Mr. Peabody," both children nodded.

"Good, now let's follow the crowd. Something very special is about to happen," Mr. Peabody beckoned the children to follow him up the hill and into the city.

**Just Inside the Eastern Gates of Jerusalem, Sunday 2 April A.D. 30, 9:15 AM**

Once they were inside the city, Penny began to notice that the crowd was beginning to split in two, plastering themselves up against the walls on either side of the road. The crowd had also stopped moving, and was facing the center of the road as if they were about to watch a parade.

"Why has everybody stopped moving, Mr. Peabody?" Penny asked.

"Somebody very special is about to come down this road, Penny," Mr. Peabody explained. "We need to find an empty spot along the side of the road ourselves."

"What about over there, Mr. Peabody," said Sherman as he pointed to an empty spot next to a middle aged woman and a teenaged boy.

"Ah, excellent Sherman. Let's go," said Mr. Peabody as he beckoned the two children to follow him. "Pardon me, ma'am," Peabody said to the woman as they approached her. "Do you mind if we squeeze in here with you?"

"Not at all," the woman replied. "Have you come to see the Master as well?"

"The Ma-" Penny began to ask, but Sherman put his hand over her mouth before she could finish.

"Yes, it has been a long time since we last saw Him," Peabody replied.

"Here He comes now!" Sherman suddenly shouted, removing his hand from Penny's mouth. And sure enough, coming up the road was a Man riding on a donkey with twelve men walking beside Him.

"A Man on a donkey? All this fuss for a Man on a donkey?" Penny asked, but nobody heard her, because as the donkey passed everyone except for her and Mr. Peabody began shouting variations of, "Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!" Penny obviously did not shout because she didn't have a clue what was going on. But Mr. Peabody was using his superior canine hearing as he listened very intently to the disciples walking beside the donkey. He was attempting to identify two in particular. Suddenly, he heard what he wanted to hear.

"I guess we didn't have to worry about returning to Jerusalem after all, John!"

"No, Peter, I guess not! The crowds love the Master!"

Mr. Peabody filed away the image of the two men's faces. He would need this piece of information later. As the donkey moved away and the crowds began to disperse and returned to their business, the woman turned to Mr. Peabody.

"I don't believe we've been properly introduced," she said. "My name is Mary and this is my son, John Mark."

"It is a pleasure to meet you both," Mr. Peabody replied. "My name is Peabody and this is Sherman and Penny. They are orphans you see, and I am their caretaker. Say hello, children."

"Hello."

"Hello, children," Mary responded before turning back to Mr. Peabody. "You must be here for the Passover. We live here in the city and we haven't seen you here before. Do you have a suitable place to stay?"

"Oh, yes. We have a little place to stay in the tent city out in the valley," Mr. Peabody replied.

"Well that's good," Mary replied. "If you need anything while you're here, just come find me. Any friend of the Master's is a friend of us. Our house is the largest house in the Upper City. It's easy enough to spot."

"Thank you very much for your kindness," said Mr. Peabody. "It was a pleasure meeting you. Farewell."

"Farewell," Mary replied as they went their separate ways.

**Kidron Valley, Sunday 2 April A.D. 30, 10:00 AM**

The time travelers had made their way out of the city and back down the hill to the WABAC. By now, Penny was thoroughly confused. "Is that it? What was the point of that, Mr. Peabody? Who was that Man on the donkey?" she asked as they stepped into the WABAC.

"Oh, that's not it Penny. Not by a longshot," Mr. Peabody replied. "We're just skipping ahead a little bit in the story, that's all. As for the Man on the donkey, well, you'll find out in good time."

"Well, okay," said Penny with a hint of doubt in her voice. "But this is not the exciting adventure you promised me."

"You won't be saying that for long, Penny," Mr. Peabody said with a chuckle. "Sherman, set the WABAC for the same place on 5 April A.D. 30 at 9:00 AM."

"Okay, Mr. Peabody," Sherman said as he moved to make the proper adjustments. When Mr. Peabody saw he was finished, he pushed the red button and they were off once again.

**Author's Note:** Again, I know this chapter was a bit slow, but it IS necessary. I promise it's going to pick up soon, and there will be a significant Penmanship scene in the next chapter for those who are really into it. And, as always, reviews are welcome! God bless!


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **Greetings in name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I want to start by once again thanking you all for the kind reviews. I pray for God's blessing on each and every one of you and that He would use you mightily for His kingdom. No one has guessed who Adrienne Bolling is, so that contest is still open. In today's chapter, we will find out why Mr. Peabody needed to identify Peter and John, and Mary and John Mark will begin to play a more prominent role. So, here is Part 4 of THE Pivotal Moment in History!

**Kidron Valley, Wednesday 5 April A.D. 30, 9:00 AM**

Once the WABAC had settled back down on the valley floor, the time travelers climbed out and walked back up the hill and into the city

"We may have a little bit of a wait, children," Mr. Peabody explained as they arrived at an open area surrounding a well.

"What are we waiting for Mr. Peabody?" Sherman asked slightly confused.

"Not what, Sherman, who. Peter and John," Mr. Peabody replied, and as if right on cue, the time travelers saw the two disciples round the same corner they had passed a few minutes ago.

"That's Peter and John?!" Sherman asked, unable to contain the excitement in his voice.

"Who are Peter and John?" Penny asked.

"ONLY the greatest two disciples!" Sherman exclaimed, forgetting in his excitement that Penny didn't even know what a disciple was. They moved closer to hear what the two disciples were saying.

"I don't see any man with a jug of water, John!" Peter said to his friend. "I think the Master sent us on a wild goose chase."

"Now Peter, you must have faith," John replied. "The Master said to find the man with a jug of water and follow him to his house where we will prepare for the Passover meal. The Master has never steered us wrong before. Besides, we just got here. Let's at least wait a few minutes to see if he shows up." At that moment, a man carrying a jug came into view and walked up to the well. Penny recognized him instantly.

"Sherman, look!" Penny whispered. "The man with the jug! It's John Mark!"

"So it is, Penny," Mr. Peabody replied. "Look, he's leaving with the water and Peter and John are following him. Quickly, we must follow them." And they took off after the disciples.

**John Mark's Home, Wednesday 5 April A.D. 30, 9:45 AM**

As John Mark approached the house, Peter and John hurried to catch up to him while the time travelers closed to just within earshot.

Once Peter had gotten John Mark's attention, he said, "The Teacher says to you, 'Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?'" John Mark was about to reply, but at that moment three men came bursting out the front door with Mary chasing and shouting after them.

"And don't you dare come back you thieves!" she roared at them. "I'll make sure you never serve at another table in this city again!"

"Mother, what was that all about?!" John Mark asked her incredulously. "What did our servants do?"

"They tried to steal from us, that's what!" Mary spat. "They tried to steal your father's sword!"

"Well, then I guess this would be a bad time to tell you that Peter and John are here asking to use the upper room for the Passover meal tomorrow night." John Mark replied. Mary turned to the two disciples.

"Oh, hello Peter, John," she acknowledged them both. "I apologize for what you just saw, but-"

"It's quite alright, Mary, it's quite alright," John said cutting her off. "But what are we going to do about the meal? The Master said that this was the place where we would eat. But without any servants, how can we serve the Master?"

"Perhaps we could be of assistance," Peabody said as he walked up to the group with the two children in tow.

"Why, it's Peabody!" exclaimed Mary. "And Sherman and Penny! We haven't seen you in a few days. How have you been?"

"We've been fine," Peabody replied. "I couldn't help but overhear your predicament and I think I have a solution that would be to everyone's benefit. Sherman, Penny, and I could be your servants, at least through the end of the week, in exchange for food and lodging. That would give you time to hire new servants, a place for the Master to eat tomorrow night, and better lodging for us than our current accommodations in the tent city."

"You mean we have to work on this trip?!" Penny whispered to Sherman.

"Quiet, Penny!" Sherman admonished her.

"Oh, that's a wonderful idea, Peabody!" Mary exclaimed. "John Mark, take everyone up to the upper room immediately and begin making the preparations."

"Of course, mother," John Mark replied as he beckoned for everyone to follow him.

**John Mark's House, Thursday 6 April A.D. 30, 3:00 PM**

Sherman and Penny were alone in the kitchen preparing to bake the bread for that evening's meal. They had their backs to each other as they worked.

"There's something else I don't understand about you Christians, Sherman," Penny said.

"What's that Penny?" Sherman asked.

"Well, it seems like a conspiracy almost," Penny began.

"What are you talking about?" Sherman prodded, somewhat confused.

"It seems no matter where I go, there's always at least one of you around."

"One of who around, Penny? Christians?"

"Yeah. My parents at home, you at school, you AND Mr. Peabody at your place. What do you guys do? Call each other and say, 'Tag, Penny's in your area now, go get her!?'" Penny exclaimed.

Sherman chuckled. "No, WE don't have to."

Penny sighed. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"God loves you, Penny," Sherman replied. "He's nuts about you and He wants you to love Him back. That's why it seems like He's sending people after you. I had no idea there were so many Christians in your life. I was just making conversation at lunch. But I realize now that God was using me to try to introduce you to Him. That's one of the ways He operates."

"Well, YOU believe it," Penny muttered, focusing intently on the dough she was working with. Silence followed for a few minutes. You could cut the tension in the room with a knife. Sherman continued working with the dough until he noticed the bag of flour sitting on the floor beside him. A light bulb went off in his head. He knew how to break the tension. He scooped up a handful of flour and turned to face Penny.

"Penny," he began. "Turn around. I think you have something on your cheek."

"Whe-" Penny began to ask as she turned, but was suddenly met with a face full of flour.

"Oh, I'm sorry Penny," Sheldon said, laughing hysterically. "It wasn't on your cheek, it was your whole face!"

"OH! Oh, Sherman!" Penny screeched as she wiped some of the powder from her eyes. Instinctively, Penny reached behind her for the dough she had been working with and flung it at Sherman.

"Ha ha ha- Oomph!" Sherman grunted as the dough collided with his face. Now it was Penny's turn to laugh.

"You were right, Sherman. I did have something on my face. And now we match!" Penny said in between laughs. A full scale food fight soon erupted, the children laughing so hard they were in tears. They carried on for several minutes until they collapsed in a heap on the floor, laughing hysterically and the tears still flowing.

"Than-Thanks, Sherman," said Penny as their breathing slowly began to return to normal.

"For what?" Sherman asked as he tried to wipe some of the flour from her forehead.

"Everything."

"Sherman! Penny!" an authoritative voice suddenly interrupted them. The two children stood to their feet and turned to see Mr. Peabody in the doorway. "What in the world happened here?! No, don't tell me, I don't want to know. Just clean it up and get back to work."

"Peabody, what is all the commotion down here?" came John Mark's voice from just outside the door. As he turned the corner into the kitchen, his jaw went slack, but it didn't stay that way for long. "What happened here?!" he roared. "The Master will be here in a few hours and my mother is going to have a fit when she sees this kitchen!"

"We're sorry, John Mark," the children replied sheepishly.

"Well…just get it cleaned up and finish baking the bread," John Mark finally said as he turned to leave the room shaking his head.

"Just because we don't have time to punish you now, don't think we're not going to talk about this when we get home," Mr. Peabody said sternly as he turned to follow John Mark out. The two children turned to look at the mess they made. They looked back at each other, and promptly burst out laughing again.

**Author's Note:** I know this chapter might have been a little slow, but tomorrow the action really picks up with the Last Supper. Hopefully, the final scene in this chapter tided you over a little bit, at least for the Penmanship lovers out there. As always, reviews are welcome, keep reading, and God bless!


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I greatly appreciated all of the encouraging words in your reviews. It is good to see so many of you following 1 Thessalonians 5:11, "Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing." In today's chapter, Penny comes face to face with Jesus, and witnesses the arrest in the Garden. So, on with the story!

**John Mark's House, Thursday 6 April A.D. 30, 7:30 PM**

John Mark, Peabody, Sherman, and Penny were gathering the bread and wine to take upstairs to the upper room for the Passover feast.

"Here, Penny," John Mark said. "You and Sherman take the bread, and Peabody and I will pour the wine. And whatever you do, serve quickly and quietly; not a sound. It must be as if we don't exist."

"Got it," Penny responded as she and Sherman took the baskets of bread from John Mark and the four made their way to the upper room. "Who are we serving anyway? We've been preparing all this food and I don't even know who it's for."

"My Master and his disciples are celebrating the Passover feast beyond this door. Of course if I were older I would be numbered with them," John Mark began to explain as they reached the door to the upper room.

"What Master are you talking about? I keep hearing that word get thrown around and- Wait a minute, your Master and His disciples?" Penny asked, as it slowly began to dawn on her.

"Surely you must know of Him. Everyone in the land has heard of Him," explained John Mark, somewhat surprised by her confusion.

"I-I'm not s-sure Who you're talking about," Penny said.

"Oh, you MUST know! I'm talking about Jesus, the Christ, our Messiah!"

"Jesus? You're telling me that Jesus is on the other side of this door?"

"Yes! What an honor for us. My mother and I are believers like yourself. Just imagine, serving Jesus HERE!" John Mark said excitedly. "But come, we must take in the bread and wine," he said as he opened the door. As they walked into the room, the four servers heard parts of the ongoing conversation.

"This very night, you will all fall away on account of Me," Jesus was saying. The room erupted with cries of denial as the disciples tried to say they would stay with Jesus.

"Come on, Penny," Sherman whispered. "We have to take the bread to the Master at the head of the table."

"That's the Man on the donkey!" Penny realized and whispered back as the two made their way to the head of the table.

"Yes, the Messiah!" Sherman whispered excitedly. "Let's go!"

"Even if all fall away on account of You, I will never fall away," Peter was saying to Jesus. "I am ready to go with You to prison, to the death!"

"I tell you Peter, today, yes even tonight before the rooster crows twice, you will deny that you even knew Me three times," Jesus replied sadly. "Ah, the bread and wine," He said as Penny and Sherman reached the head of the table. "Thank you." He turned back to His disciples. "Take. Eat. This is My Body..."

"Come on, Penny," Sherman whispered, motioning back toward the door.

"I want to stay," she whispered back.

"We can't! This is a very important time for them. Come," Sherman whispered and she followed him. After the four had left the room, Penny was visibly stunned.

"Are you alright Penny?" Sherman asked concerned.

"Did you see Him? He took the bread from me," Penny slowly said.

"Well that was our job!" Sherman chuckled.

"But, He looked-He looked at me. His-His eyes. He-He never-I mean, I never-I-I," Penny stammered.

"My words exactly!" Peabody exclaimed as he overheard the conversation. "There's just something about Him that draws you in. Especially for the disciples. Most of them were fishermen before Jesus found them," he continued. "But they didn't make a lot of money fishing."

"How do you know that?" Penny asked.

"By looking at their NET income!" Mr. Peabody replied with a smirk. Penny groaned at the terrible pun, while Sherman chuckled before saying, "I don't get it."

"Never mind," Mr. Peabody replied. "Come, we have more work to do."

**John Mark's House, Thursday 6 April A.D. 30, 10:00 PM**

Sherman and Penny were having their dinner downstairs while John Mark and Peabody tended to business in the upper room. Penny was eating ravenously.

"My word, Penny, I guess YOU were hungry!" Sherman commented.

"I've never done as much physical labor in my life as I've done over the past day and a half!" Penny replied as she took a drink of water. "Sherman, I've been thinking about it. Trying to remember what happens next with Jesus. I-I thought I knew the story but I don't." Sherman's face became a little sad.

"You'll find out soon enough," Sherman replied.

"I-I've never seen anything, anyone like Him," Penny continued. "When He looked at us, it felt like…"

"It felt like He was looking inside us," Sherman prompted.

"Yeah! Yeah, that's how it felt. Like-Like He was looking inside of us, but it was more than that. It was like He was looking inside of us, but looking with…oh, I don't know," said Penny exasperated.

"Love, Penny," John Mark explained as he entered the downstairs dining room. "When He looks, it's as if He looks with a very sweet love. Like being held close in a soft warm blanket."

"Can we go back upstairs? I think…I'd like to see Him again," Penny asked John Mark. "I promise not to talk, I just want to look at Him," she added quickly.

"We could, but you won't see Him," John Mark answered.

"I won't? Why not?" Penny asked confused.

"Because they've gone by now," John Mark explained. "Peabody is bringing down the last of the dishes as we speak."

"They're gone?!" Penny asked, suddenly realizing the implications.

"Yes," John Mark replied. "After the feast they planned to go to Gethsemane to spend the night. There's a garden there-"

"John Mark!" Penny cut him off.

"What's wrong?" John Mark asked.

"Don't you know? Don't you understand?!" Penny exclaimed.

"No, what should I understand?" John Mark asked confused.

"The Garden of Gethsemane! Come on, we have to go! Sherman, go get Peabody!" she exclaimed as she began tugging on John Mark's robe.

"Right!" Sherman dashed out of the room.

"But why?" John Mark asked, now thoroughly confused.

"It's an emergency! Believe me! You have to show us where the garden is!" And with that, the four dashed out of the house.

**Garden of Gethsemane, Thursday 6 April A.D. 30, 11:00 PM**

"Slow down, Penny!" Peabody called as she raced ahead of the other three.

"We have to find them! Why's it so quiet? Did we miss them?!" Penny exclaimed.

"No, they said they'd be here the entire night," John Mark explained as the four stopped to catch their breath. "Over there! See, the disciples are sleeping. Now, please, tell me why you're so panicked!"

"Where's Jesus? I don't see Jesus," Sherman commented.

"Maybe He's sleeping in another part of the garden," Peabody said as he looked around.

"Come around this way, but quietly!" John Mark beckoned. "I do not understand your panic, but I do not wish to disturb the Master's sleep."

"Do you see Him?!" Penny asked anxiously as the time travelers followed John Mark.

"Uhhh…yes!" John Mark replied. "There He is. He's praying."

"I have to warn Him! I have to talk to Him!" Penny started toward Jesus, but Peabody covered her mouth and pulled her back.

"Hold on Penny," Peabody said aloud, but then he whispered in her ear, "History must play out as recorded."

"But Mr. Peabody, they're going to arrest Him!" Penny whispered back.

"I know," Peabody whispered sadly. "I don't like it any more than you do. But it is necessary." Suddenly, a commotion erupted behind them. Jesus had moved back over to His disciples and was speaking to one of them, the one surrounded by what appeared to be guards from the Jewish Temple.

"Judas, you have betrayed the Son of Man with a kiss," Jesus said sadly.

"I don't believe it! Judas!" Peter exclaimed as he drew his sword and swung it at one of the Temple servants. The servant ducked, and Peter only managed to cut off his right ear.

"Put the sword into the sheath," Jesus rebuked Peter. "The cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?" Then Jesus touched His hand to the servant's severed ear and when He removed it…

"Did you see that Sherman?! He healed his ear!" Penny exclaimed to Sherman.

At that moment, the leader of the Temple guards approached Jesus. "Jesus of Nazareth, by the authority of the Sanhedrin, you are under arrest!"

"No! You can't do that!" Penny yelled as she escaped Mr. Peabody's grasp and she and John Mark ran toward the guards.

"Get back! Both of you!" yelled one of the guards. When they didn't get back, the guard took his club and swung it at both of them, managing to land a blow to both of their heads and knock them to the ground. The guards then took Jesus away and the disciples scattered, leaving only the four in the garden.

"NO!" Sherman yelled as he ran up to Penny. "Penny, speak to me! Are you alright?!" he asked as he cradled her head in his lap.

"Mmmm…" was the only response he got initially.

"Come on, Penny! You have to be alright! Say something!"

"I love you, Shermannn…" she muttered in a quiet, groggy, practically unintelligible voice.

"What? I can't understand you, Penny! Come on, say something!" Sherman was really beginning to panic when…

"Oh, OH! OW! What happened?!" Penny exclaimed, finally coming to and rubbing her head.

"Oh, praise God!" Sherman yelled before explaining. "You tried to stop the Temple guards and one of them clubbed you on the head. Come on, we have to go find where they've taken Jesus." By this time Peabody had tended to John Mark, and the four made their way out of the garden.

**Author's Note:** Well, it looks like Penny might be starting to open up a little bit. Will Penny and the rest be able to find Jesus, and what will happen if they do? The only way to find out is to keep reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Thank you once again for all the support you have given me and this story. It really does mean a lot to me. Last time, Penny, Sherman, Peabody, and John Mark witnessed the arrest of Jesus. Will they be able to find out where He's been taken? Well let's find out!

**Outside the House of the High Priest Caiaphas, Friday 7 April A.D. 30, 12:00 AM**

"This is where they've taken Him, I'm sure of it," John Mark explained as they walked up to the house.

"It's a palace," Penny noted. "Look at all the people."

"It's the home of the high priest of the Jewish Temple," Peabody explained to her.

"What will happen to Jesus here?" Penny asked.

"Well, they'll question Him. And then Lord willing, they'll let Him go," John Mark explained.

"Are you sure you're alright, Penny?" Sherman asked. "You took a valiant stand against that soldier."

"Not valiant enough," she replied. "I could have done better than that."

"Nonsense, Penny," Mr. Peabody said. "We were outnumbered with no weapons. You couldn't fight all of them."

"We should have done something," Penny replied.

"Maybe we still can. Come on," John Mark motioned for the time travelers to follow him. "Wait, look. There at the door. Peter and John are talking with that servant girl. That must be where they've taken the Master. She's letting John in."

"Peter's staying behind," Sherman noted.

"John's family is well known to the priest," John Mark explained. The servant girl is probably under orders. But I know this place. There's another way for us to see."

"Shhh. Listen. Peter's talking to the girl. Let's get closer," Peabody said.

"I can't let anyone in I don't know," the servant girl was explaining to Peter. "All the temple leaders are in there. It's pretty important I guess. You can go over there and warm yourself by the fire if you want. Strange happenings. Everyone dragging themselves out in the middle of the night for this, this Jesus fellow. They've never done that for anyone else that I know of." A hint of recognition appeared on her face. "You're one of them aren't you? One of His disciples."

"Uh, no, no, I-I'm just a friend of John's, that's all," Peter replied nervously.

Mr. Peabody sadly held out one of the pads on his paw and commented, "One."

"Come on," John Mark urged the time travelers. "We have to see what's happening to the Master."

"Where are we going?" Sherman asked.

"This way, up these stairs," John Mark pointed as the three followed him. "We must stay quiet. If we're caught, they'll put us out." The four listened to the trial going on below them in the courtyard where a large crowd had gathered.

"I was at the Temple, when this Man, Jesus, cause a near riot, when He said He would destroy the Temple," one of the witnesses was testifying. This caused some anxious murmuring in the crowd.

"Destroy the temple?!" One of the priests asked shocked. "Was anyone with you who also heard this?"

"I had a friend with me; Zephaniah. He's sitting right back there," the witness pointed to the back of the crowd.

"You! Come forward!" the priest commanded Zephaniah, who obeyed. "What's your story?"

"My lord, it is as you have heard," Zephaniah began. "The Man, Jesus, said uh, that He WOULD destroy the temple, yes, but He would also rebuild it in three days." This caused even more murmuring in the crowd.

"Is this true?" the priest asked the first witness.

"I don't remember him saying anything about rebuilding the Temple," the first witness replied.

"Yes, yes!" Zephaniah insisted. "He threatened to destroy it so He could build another one!"

"It wasn't like that at all!" the first witness protested. The murmur in the crowd continued to build.

"There may be hope yet," John Mark commented quietly.

"Why, what's going on?" Penny asked.

"According to the Law, the testimony of two witnesses must agree, or they cannot be used," Peabody explained.

"The important thing is that we agree about His claim to rebuild the Temple in three days," the first witness was saying down in the courtyard.

"Well, Jesus of Nazareth," the chief priest began, quieting the crowd, "Are You not going to answer the testimony these men are bringing against You?" Jesus was silent.

"Why doesn't He say something?" Penny asked.

"I don't know," John Mark replied.

"I charge You under oath by the Living God!" the chief priest continued. "Tell us if You are the Son of the Blessed One! Are You Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ?!"

"I Am," Jesus replied. The crowd went absolutely ballistic and the chief priest tore his robe.

"That's it," John Mark muttered. "He's done for."

"Why?" Penny asked, again thoroughly confused.

"Blasphemy. He's claimed to be the Son of God," John Mark explained.

"Yeah, so?

"Well, anyone who claims to be the Son of God should be…put to death!"

"Put to death? No! They can't! We have to stop them!" she almost shouted.

"Why do we need any more witnesses?" one of the priests asked the crowd. "You have heard the blasphemy, what do you think?" The crowd began chanting "Crucify Him!"

"No! You can't!" Now Penny WAS shouting.

"Penny, quiet!" Peabody admonished her, but it was too late.

"There, you four!" one of the Temple guards pointed to them. "You're not supposed to be up there! Get down to the courtyard with the others!"

"But He hasn't done anything wrong!" Penny continued to protest.

"Of course He hasn't," the guard replied sarcastically. "Now get down or I'll come up and get you!"

"Come on Penny," Sherman motioned for Penny to head down the stairs.

"What about Jesus?" Penny asked him as they made their way down the steps.

"Listen. They're taking Him to Pilate," John Mark explained to her. "There may still be a chance."

"What, what?!" Penny asked anxiously.

"The Master has broken no Roman law. I'm just not sure," John Mark replied.

"Sure about what?" Sherman asked.

"Do you see Peter anywhere?" John Mark asked.

"He's over there by the fire," Peabody pointed him out. The four made their way over to him.

"Peter, there may still be a chance," John Mark explained. "They're taking Jesus to Pilate."

"Well…what of it? What is that to me?" Peter replied.

"Don't you care about what happens to the Master?" John Mark asked shocked.

The servant girl from earlier walked up. "Master? Then you ARE one of Jesus' disciples!" she said.

"I-I told you I'm not. I-I don't know what you're talking about, I swear it!" Peter snapped at her.

"Peter!" Penny was shocked.

Mr. Peabody sadly held out two of the pads on his paw and commented, "Two."

"Come on, you must be! You're a Galilean, by your accent, I can tell!" one of the bystanders commented as a small crowd started to gather.

"I tell you I don't know the Man!" Peter was now furious. "I've never laid eyes on Him! Why don't you all just leave me alone!" As the last syllables of Peter's sentence left his mouth, the crowd heard a rooster crow loudly in the distance. Peter's face became pale and he took off running.

Sherman sadly held out three fingers and with a tone of finality simply said, "Three."

"What's the matter with him?" Penny asked.

"Oh no!" John Mark exclaimed.

"What's the matter with you?" Penny asked again.

"Don't you remember the Master's words at supper last night?" Mr. Peabody asked.

"He said that before the rooster crowed…" Sherman continued.

"Peter would deny Him three times," Penny finished, realizing what had happened. "Shouldn't we go after him?"

"No," John Mark replied. "Look, they're bringing the Master out."

One of the Temple guards made an announcement, "Let it be known that Jesus, son of Joseph, by His own admission stands guilty of blasphemy, and is condemned to die by the sentence of this Sanhedrin. He will be taken to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, whom we hold responsible to carry out the sentence." He then motioned for the other guards to bring Jesus out.

"Come on, we have to stay close to Him," Penny urged the other three.

"Penny, wait," Mr. Peabody held Penny back.

"Come lads," one of the guards was saying to his comrades. "Shall we have a little fun with our Messiah here?"

"What are you doing?" Penny demanded of them as she squirmed free of Mr. Peabody's grasp. "Why are you blindfolding Him?"

"Because we want to see Him prophecy!" the guard said with a laugh. "Tell us, Jesus, who hit You?" And with that, two or three of the guards punched Him in various parts of His body.

"Stop it!" Penny made a feeble attempt to pull one of the guards away from Jesus.

"Get back, girl!" the first guard commanded.

"Penny!" John Mark called out to her. Penny continued her struggle.

"Stop hitting Him!" Penny shouted at the guard.

"I said, GET BACK!" the guard shouted as he shoved her to the ground.

"Ooph!" Penny grunted as she landed on her back.

"Penny!" Sherman yelled as he ran to her and slowly helped her up.

"Come on, men. Let's go!" the guard commanded his troops who led Jesus away.

"Penny, are you alright?" Mr. Peabody asked as he and John Mark walked up.

"Oh, yeah," she replied slightly dazed. Then completely regaining her faculties, she said, "We gotta go after Him! We gotta stop them!"

"No, there's a better way," John Mark replied. "It's what I tried to tell Peter. My mother is a woman of some influence in Jerusalem. She knows Pilate's wife, Claudia!"

"So?" Penny asked, not understanding the significance.

"It's the governor's custom at the Passover feast to release a prisoner chosen by the people," John Mark explained. "My mother may be able to talk Claudia into persuading Pilate to let the Master go!"

"Well what are we waiting for?!" Penny asked as the four made their way to find Mary.

**Author's Note:** Will Claudia convince Pilate to let Jesus go? You know the only way to find out: keep reading! In the meantime, keep the reviews coming and God bless!


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Aqua Elsa posted the following review of the previous chapter: "not trying to be rude, but I don't think Jesus said anything when he was being tried. I read the KJV. and I don't remember Him saying anything." Thank you very much for the review and the question, Aqua Elsa, and don't worry, I don't think you were rude. What follows is an explanation of my sources for this part of the story. Mark 14: 60-63 (NASB) says, "The high priest stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, 'Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?' But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, 'Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?' And Jesus said, 'I Am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of Heaven.' Tearing his clothes, the high priest said, 'What further need do we have of witnesses?'" The other three gospels record slightly different words for Jesus' statement here, but this is NOT a discrepancy. The reason for the slight difference is actually quite simple: Jesus said everything that He is recorded as saying in the four gospels, but the different writers left certain words and phrases out, because it was not relevant to the story they were trying to tell or their target audience. Matthew's audience being the Jews, Mark's being the Romans, Luke's being the Greeks, and John's audience was the whole world. I just wanted to clear that up. Reviews are always welcome, especially if you have any questions about the story, like the review mentioned above. Now, on with the story!

**Roman Praetorium in Jerusalem, Friday 7 April A.D. 30, 6:00 AM**

Mary, John Mark, Mr. Peabody, Sherman, and Penny were waiting in the courtyard for Claudia to return from speaking with Pilate.

"Penny, if you keep walking back and forth that way, you'll wear a path in the floor," Mary remarked.

"Well, where is she?" Penny retorted. "We've been waiting in this courtyard for more than an hour. Jesus could be anywhere by now."

"You needn't fear for the Master, Penny," Sherman said, in an attempt to calm her down. "I overheard some of the servants saying Pilate has sent Him to Herod. Now Herod can do nothing without Pilate's permission."

"There is hope, Penny," Mary added.

"My dear Mary!" Claudia greeted her friend as she walked up.

"Claudia!" Mary returned.

"And you've brought your son, John Mark. My how you've grown!" Claudia continued. "But who are these three with you?"

"These are my friends, Peabody, Sherman, and Penny," John Mark replied somewhat hesitantly.

"You are welcome in my home," Claudia acknowledged them.

"Thanks. Where's Jesus?" Penny asked rudely.

"Penny!" Mr. Peabody admonished her.

"Well, whatever else you may be, you're certainly rude," Claudia remarked.

"Oh, forgive her Claudia. We are all very anxious about Jesus," Mary offered.

"Yes, I know, I could tell from your message," Claudia replied.

"Is He still with Herod?" Mr. Peabody asked.

"Oh, no," Claudia answered. "He's been back for some time now."

"Can we see Him? Penny asked.

"I'm afraid not. He's in another part of the palace. He's being whipped," Claudia replied. The five gasped at the news. "Now, now, it's just appearances," Claudia continued. "Everyone brought before the governor is flogged. Even those who are going to be released."

"You mean, Pilate's going to let Jesus go?" Sherman asked, afraid for a moment that they had contaminated the timeline.

"Well, it looks quite promising," Claudia answered. "That's why it took so long for me to come out. I convinced my husband to give the crowd a choice between your Jesus and one of the worst criminals in our dungeons, a murderer by the name of Barabbas. It almost assures us that they will choose Jesus."

"Oh, thank God!" Mary exclaimed.

Claudia scoffed. "Your God had nothing to do with it. It was my influence over my husband."

"Oh, Claudia," Mary gushed. "You are a wonderful friend to do this."

"Well…I didn't do it just for our friendship either," Claudia explained. "I had a terrible nightmare about your Jesus early this morning. It convinced me that He really IS innocent." The crowd began to grow anxious. "Ah, my husband must be bringing Him out."

"If only we could be near Him," Mary commented.

"Well why can't we?" Claudia asked before realizing. "Oh, that's right. You can't enter the palace because of your holiday. Oh, no matter. This courtyard has a divine view of the judgment seat. We'll be able to see and hear everything that's going on from here. Come this way."

"There's Pilate. And the Master," John Mark noted.

"The back of His robe is all bloody," Sherman observed.

"Our guards are nothing if not quite thorough," Claudia commented. "Shh. Here he comes."

"I have given you time to make your decision," Pilate's voice boomed out over the crowd. "Which one do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" The crowd began to chant "Barabbas!"

"They want Barabbas!" Penny said shocked.

"But I-I don't understand," Claudia puzzled. "Why would they want a murderer over an innocent Man?"

"Who cares?" Penny snapped, then shouted, "Let Jesus go! Let Him go!"

"What shall I do then, with the One you call King of the Jews?" Pilate asked. The crowd chanted "Crucify Him!" Pilate continued, "I find no basis for a charge against Him. Shall I crucify your King?"

"This makes no sense at all," Claudia continued to puzzle. "They want to kill an innocent Man!"

"We know that!" Penny snapped again. "Instead of sitting there trying to figure it out, help us stop it!" She shouted again, "Let Him go!"

"I find no basis for a charge against Him!" Pilate repeated. He heard a voice from the roaring crowd say "He claims to be the Son of God." "The Son of God?" Pilate questioned. "Where do You come from Jesus? Speak! Don't You realize I have the power to release You or crucify You?"

"You would have no power over Me if it were not given to you from above," Jesus replied. "Therefore those who handed Me over to you are guilty of a greater sin."

"I-I tell you I-I find no basis for a charge against this Man!" Pilate shouted to the crowd again.

"Then let Him go!" Penny shouted once more.

Finally, Pilate ordered, "Bring me water! Pour it over my hands." Once this was done, he said "I am innocent of this Man's blood. It is your responsibility. Take Him and crucify Him!"

"NO!" Penny shouted.

"Oh, dear Lord!" Mary exclaimed.

"The Master is finished!" John Mark cried.

"I'm…sorry," Claudia sighed.

"Sorry?!" Penny exclaimed. "Is that all you can say?! I'm sorry?!"

"Penny!" Mr. Peabody admonished her, for what seemed like to him was the umpteenth time this trip.

"Why did Pilate give in?" Penny continued. "He could have stopped it!"

"I-I don't know!" Claudia replied.

"But Jesus is innocent! You said so yourself!" Penny continued to lash out. "Doesn't that mean anything to your husband?"

"Justice means a great deal to all Romans," Claudia replied as she composed herself. "I'm sure the man had his reasons."

"I don't know what the people of this accursed land want!" grumbled Pilate as he walked up to his wife and the rest of the group. "I'm sorry my dear Claudia, I tried."

"Well you didn't try hard enough!" Penny snapped at the governor.

"Penny!" Sherman clamped his hand over Penny's mouth and pulled her up against him, terrified for her because he knew what Pilate could do to her.

"You dare talk to me in that manner?!" Pilate roared. "Who are you?!"

"She's a friend of my son, lord Pilate, forgive her," Mary intervened. "She is concerned about Jesus."

"Concerned, nothing!" Penny screamed as she tore Sherman's hand away from her mouth. "You could have let Him go if you really wanted to! You looked to me like you were scared!"

"Hold your tongue, girl!" Pilate yelled.

"Penny, you-you can't talk to the governor that way!" Mr. Peabody admonished, realizing the very real possibility that Pilate could imprison her at the snap of his fingers.

"Some governor! He can't even save an innocent Man!" Penny cried as she tore herself from Sherman's grasp and began to follow the crowd, hoping to find Jesus.

"Where are you going? I gave you no permission to leave!" Pilate demanded.

"Somebody's gotta stop this thing," Penny roared. "And if none of you will do it then I will!"

"That's it!" Pilate screamed. "Guards, seize her!" And they did.

"Let go of me!" Penny yelled.

"Oh, have mercy on her great Pilate, she is just a girl!" Mr. Peabody begged. "Even girls must learn respect for Roman law," Pilate retorted. "Lock her in a cell until she learns to hold her tongue!"

"No! Penny!" Sherman called after her as the guards drug her away. He turned to Pilate. "Take me instead! I'll serve her punishment!"

"That's not the way it works. Come, Claudia," Pilate turned to his wife. Let's get back into the palace, I'm sick of these crowds." And he turned and walked away.

"Again, I-I'm sorry," Claudia apologized to Mary before following after Pilate.

**Author's Note:** Uh-oh! Cliffhanger! What's going to happen to Penny? Will Mr. Peabody and Sherman be able to free her from prison? And what's next for Jesus? The only way to find out is to keep reading! In the meantime, reviews are appreciated, especially if you have any questions about my sources for certain parts of the story, what parts of the story mean, or really just about anything at all. God bless!


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! When we left off last time, Pilate had just given the order to crucify Jesus and Penny was hauled off to prison for disrespecting Pilate. Let's see what happens as our trio continues their adventure through "THE Pivotal Moment in History."

**Roman Praetorium in Jerusalem, Friday 7 April A.D. 30, 6:30 AM**

Suddenly, the crowd began to sweep past the spot where Mary, John Mark, Mr. Peabody, and Sherman were standing. They began to lose each other in the crowd.

"Mr. Peabody!" Sherman yelled.

"Sherman, grab my paw and don't let go!" Mr. Peabody replied. "Follow me! We have to get out of this crowd!" Mr. Peabody pulled Sherman until they found a breakup, but they realized they had lost John Mark and Mary in the crowd.

"Mr. Peabody!" Sherman cried. "We have to save Penny! We have to get her out of prison!" The boy was on the verge of a panic attack.

"I know, Sherman, I know!" Mr. Peabody replied, desperately trying to think. He could count on one paw the number of times in his life when he felt absolutely helpless and this was one of them. "Pray Sherman!" He commanded. "Pray as hard as you can! Dear God, help us save our friend! Show us how to find Penny! Guide our steps Lord." As these words left his lips, Mr. Peabody locked eyes with a centurion across the courtyard, standing with one of his soldiers. Mr. Peabody had never seen the man before in his life, but the centurion seemed to recognize him and waved him over. Mr. Peabody was hesitant at first, but then he heard a voice behind him.

"Go to him. I healed his servant," the voice said.

Mr. Peabody whipped around, but there was no one there. "Sherman," Mr. Peabody asked. "Who said that?"

"Said what Mr. Peabody?" Sherman answered. Mr. Peabody was now very confused, but the centurion was still waving them over, so he decided it best to do as the voice said.

"Peabody! Sherman!" the centurion greeted the two as they walked up to him. "It has been years since I saw you last! I guess you saw what happened to Jesus, I wish there was something I could do for Him after what He did for me."

When he said this, some of the gears began turning in Mr. Peabody's head. "Did He heal a servant of yours a few years ago, by chance?" Mr. Peabody asked.

"Of course! Don't you remember?" he asked, then seeing the confusion on the dog and boy's faces, "No, I guess you don't. Well, that WAS a few years ago. Yes, when my servant was sick, you told me that Jesus could heal him. You, along with Sherman and Penny, brought me to Him and He healed my servant. You probably don't even remember my name, do you? I am Claudius and this is one of my soldiers, Hadrian," he explained. Of course, Mr. Peabody didn't remember being a part of the healing of the centurion's servant, but he decided to play along. A look of recognition came across his face.

"Oh, of course! Claudius!" Mr. Peabody exclaimed. "It's all coming back to me now. It is good to see you again, though I wish it were under better circumstances. Yes, we were here when they chose Barabbas over Jesus. I still don't understand why they would choose a murderer over an innocent Man."

"Neither do I," Claudius replied. "What is the world coming to when we execute innocent men and let murderers run free? In fact, Hadrian and I were just about to head down to the prison to release Barabbas now." Mr. Peabody suddenly got an idea.

"Claudius," Mr. Peabody began. "You may not be able to help Jesus, but you may be able to help Penny."

"Oh?" Claudius asked. "How is that? Where is she anyway?"

"That's the thing," Sherman continued, realizing Mr. Peabody's plan. "She's in prison herself. Pilate just had her arrested for being rude to him. She didn't mean any harm, she was just upset about Jesus."

"Yes, so we were wondering if we could accompany you to the prison and perhaps find and release Penny," Mr. Peabody finished.

"Oh, Governor Pilate," Claudius said with a chuckle. "What a hothead. He does this all the time. Throw people in prison on trumped up charges, I mean. I think it's his way of expressing his frustration at being assigned to this province. Of course you can accompany us. Follow me." And they headed for the prison.

**Penny's Prison Cell, Friday 7 April A.D. 30, 9:00 AM**

"Great! This is just great! Stuck in a stinking jail! How am I gonna get out of this one?" Penny remarked cynically to herself as a rat scurried past.

"Girl!" came a gruff male voice from the next cell over. "You act very strange. Who are you talking to?"

"Oh, um, n-no one," Penny replied, instantly much more humble.

"Give me your bread!" the man demanded.

"Oh, is that what it is?" Penny asked as she looked down at the bread beside her. "I thought it was some sort of rubber ball." She passed the bread through the bars. "H-here, you can have it." The man took a bite out of the bread.

"You're the youngest prisoner I've seen," the man remarked. "Almost as young as I when I started. Why are you in here?"

"Uh, s-smarting off with Pilate," Penny replied.

"Smarting off?" the man questioned.

"Y-yeah. You know. Being rude," Penny explained. The man laughed.

"Good! Good girl! You have spunk!" The man chuckled. "You know why I'm in here?"

"N-no. Why?"

"Murder. I kill rude little girls!" the man answered.

"Oh. W-well i-it was nice t-talking to you. Enjoy your bread," Penny said as she moved over to the other side of the cell. "Peabody, what have you gotten me into?!" she muttered to herself. She heard footsteps from up the hall. What she saw was the most beautiful thing she had seen this whole trip. Coming down the hall were Sherman, Peabody, and two Roman soldiers, one of whom she recognized as a centurion. "Sherman! Peabody!" she called out. "Boy am I glad to see you!"

"Penny!" Sherman ran up to her cell. "We've been looking all over this prison for you! We were beginning to think we'd never find you!"

"So, Penny," the centurion began as he stood next to Sherman. "Sherman here tells me that you've been put in here to learn respect for Roman law. Is that true?"

Penny gulped, "Um, y-yes sir, t-that's right."

"Have you learned respect, Penny?" the centurion asked.

"W-well, um, y-yes sir, I sure have!" Penny replied nervously.

The centurion paused for a moment. "Let her out," he commanded the soldier beside him.

"Thank you very much, Claudius," Peabody thanked the centurion.

"Oh, it's no trouble, Peabody," the centurion replied. "Especially for three old friends."

"You better beware of her, centurion, she's a dangerous one," the man in the next cell over suddenly spoke up again. "She might call you a bad name!" he laughed.

"Quiet, you! Or I'll-" the second soldier commanded, but was cut off by Claudius.

"Halt!" Claudius commanded. "He's the one I'm here for. Let him out too."

"Out? You're letting me go?!" the man asked. "I thought I was to be executed."

"If it were up to me, Barabbas, you would have been," Claudius replied.

"Barabbas? Is that your name?!" Penny demanded.

"Yes! What of it?" Barabbas replied.

"You're the one they chose instead of Jesus!" she declared. "You're the one they chose instead of my Friend!"

"You're pretty close to Jesus, aren't you Penny?" Claudius asked.

Penny sighed and looked at the ground. "Not as much as I wish I was," she said quietly. She looked up at Claudius. "Do you know Him?"

"You don't remember either do you?"

"Remember what?" Penny asked.

"Oh, never mind," Claudius replied. "It's not important. He healed a servant of mine a few years ago. They say He is the Son of God."

"Baagh! There is no God!" Barabbas interjected. "So how can this Man be His Son?"

"But He is!" Penny declared, then more softly, "He really is."

"Whatever He may be," Claudius continued. "He's a good Man, and the world needs more like Him. That's why it's such a pity that He's…Anyways, I need to take care of this one," he motioned toward Barabbas. "Can you make your way out of here on your own, Peabody?"

"Yes, Claudius, we'll be fine," Peabody replied. "Thanks again for all your help."

"My pleasure. Come on, Barabbas, let's go. Jesus has taken your place," Claudius, the other soldier, and Barabbas walked away, leaving the time travelers, who began to make their own way out.

"What was he talking about, 'three old friends'?" Penny asked once Claudius was out of earshot.

"It's a long story," Mr. Peabody replied. "I don't completely understand it myself. But if I were to guess, based on what he has told us, I would say that at some point in our future, we will travel back a few years from this point and meet him. It's not a complete theory, but it's the only thing that seems to make sense."

Penny shrugged and then asked, "Mr. Peabody, do you know where Jesus is now?"

"Well, yes Penny," Mr. Peabody answered. "But I really don't think you want to see-"

"Please, Mr. Peabody!" Penny begged. "I need to see Him!"

"Well, alright," Mr. Peabody relented as they left the prison. "Come on, it's this way." And the three took off running.

**Approaching Calvary, Friday 7 April A.D. 30, 12:45 PM**

"I haven't run like this since I was training for the Olympics!" Peabody panted.

"Why's it so dark out here?" Penny asked as the three ran through the city gates on their way to Calvary. "Was I in jail that long?"

"No, you weren't," Mr. Peabody replied. "It's still the middle of the day."

"Then what happened to the Sun?" Penny asked.

"'It was now about the sixth hour and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour,' Luke 23:44," Sherman explained.

"What?!" Penny asked.

"It's going to be dark until 3 this afternoon," Sherman translated.

"Oh," Penny replied as they came to a crossroads. "Which way do we go?"

"Up that path," Mr. Peabody pointed. "It's not far. They're at a clearing at the top of the hill."

"Then there's still a chance!" Penny declared as she took off up the hill.

"Wait, Penny, wait!" Sherman called.

"Hurry!" she called back. "We might still be able to stop it before-" A crash of thunder and a voice crying out cut her off as she crested the hill and saw the three crosses, their victims already hanging from them.

"My God! My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Jesus cried out. Penny fell to her knees.

"Oh, no. No," she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Wait!" Sherman called out as he and Mr. Peabody crested the hill. "Oh Penny," he whispered when he saw the scene. He also began to tear up as He kneeled down on her right side and Mr. Peabody kneeled down next to him.

"Why?!" Penny began to sob. "Why are they doing this to Him? He didn't do anything wrong!"

"I'm sorry, Penny," Mr. Peabody simply answered as his eyes began to water, not wanting to explain the theological implications at such a time as this.

**Calvary, Friday 7 April A.D. 30, 2:45 PM**

"I thirst," Jesus muttered from the cross. One of the executioners put a sponge on His spear and dipped it in a bucket of what smelled like sour wine. He then brought the sponge to Jesus' mouth, who took a sip before refusing the rest.

"Can't we do anything?" Penny asked through her tears. Sherman just gave her a sad look. "Oh, Jesus!" Penny was now bawling.

"Father," Jesus muttered. "Into Your hands I commit My Spirit."

"Noooo!" Penny cried.

"It is finished," Jesus sighed before His head fell limp. He was now dead.

"Please," Penny whispered. "No."

"Penny, brace yourself," Sherman told her. She turned to see Sherman and Mr. Peabody were now lying flat on their stomachs.

"Brace for what?" Penny asked through her tears.

"Earthquake," Sherman simply replied.

"But I don't feel an earth-" Penny was cut off as the ground underneath her began to tremble. Sherman pulled her to the ground as the time travelers covered each other as best they could. All around them they could hear the screams of those who had not foreseen the quake. After what seemed like an eternity, but was only about a minute or two, the quake subsided and the three slowly stood to their feet. Penny saw one of the executioners also standing and picking up a spear. She watched his actions, but suddenly wished she hadn't. He walked up to Jesus and plunged the spear into His side. When he pulled it out, blood and water poured from Jesus' body. This proved to be too much for Penny, who promptly turned around and threw up.

**Author's Note:** Well that was sort of a depressing ending, wasn't it? But don't worry, the best part is yet to come in tomorrow's exciting conclusion to THE Pivotal Moment in History! Until then, please review and God bless!


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Today marks the end of this story, but the beginning of a new life for Penny. Here now, is the exciting conclusion to THE Pivotal Moment in History!

**Inside the WABAC, Kidron Valley, Friday 7 April A.D. 30, 4:00 PM**

The three had made their way back to the WABAC shortly after the earthquake, Penny bawling the whole way. In fact, she was still bawling, seated in her chair, with Mr. Peabody and Sherman standing on either side of her trying to comfort her.

"They killed Him, Mr. Peabody!" Penny cried. "They killed Him! He didn't do anything to them and they killed Him!"

"Oh, it's alright Penny. It's alright," Mr. Peabody tried as Sherman rubbed her back.

"But it's not alright," Penny continued. "I never really understood about Jesus, Mr. Peabody! He never really meant anything to me before. And now, just when I get to know about Him, I have to see Him die!"

"But Penny, the story doesn't end there," Sherman began to explain.

"He's dead. It has to end here," Penny sniffed, finally starting to calm down.

"No! The best part is yet to come," Sherman continued. "Would you like to see it?"

Penny sighed. "I-I don't know."

"You have to trust me, Penny," Sherman tried. Penny looked up at Sherman for a minute.

"A-All right," she finally agreed. Peabody set the WABAC for a new time and the three were off once again.

**Outside the Tomb, Sunday 9 April A.D. 30, 7:30 AM**

The cloaked WABAC settled to the ground with a low hum. The three time travelers slowly climbed out, and Mr. Peabody directed them to hide behind a bush from which they could see a weeping woman standing outside of what looked like an open above ground tomb.

"Is that Mary Magdalene, Mr. Peabody?" Sherman whispered.

"Yes, shh! Watch," Mr. Peabody replied. As they watched, Mary (not John Mark's mother) stooped down to look into the tomb. When she did, the three heard a voice come from inside the tomb.

The voice said, "Woman, why are you weeping?"

Mary responded, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." Mary turned to look outside the tomb and saw a man standing there that had not been there a moment before.

"Sherman! Mr. Peabody!" Penny whispered. "It's Jesus!"

"Yes, shh!" they replied, smiling.

"Woman, why are you weeping?" Jesus asked Mary. "Whom are you seeking?"

Mary, not realizing it was Jesus, replied, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away."

"Mary!" Jesus said. When Mary realized Who it was, she clung to Him.

"Rabbi!" she cried out.

"He's alive, Mr. Peabody, He's alive!" Penny turned to Mr. Peabody and yelled, no longer able to contain her excitement. "He was dead, but now He's alive and He-"

"Penny Peterson."

Penny turned to the voice and saw that Mary Magdalene had left and Jesus was now standing before her.

"Jesus?" she asked.

"Penny," Jesus said again, as He knelt on one knee and took her hand in both of His. She looked down at His hands and saw the holes in His wrists from the nails. "Will you now also believe?"

"Jesus, I-" Penny started.

"Believe in Me, Penny. Believe."

"Jesus! I do believe! I do believe in You Jesus!" Penny declared as she hugged Jesus as tightly as she could.

"Oh, my dear little child," Jesus replied, hugging her back. "You remind me so much of my disciple Thomas. You are as shrewd and skeptical as he is, but capable of so much love," He said with a smile. He then laid his hands on Penny's and Sherman's heads and He blessed them, "The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace. Amen."

"Amen. Thank you, Rabbi," Sherman breathed.

"Yes, thank you," added Penny.

"Peabody," Jesus turned and laid His hand on the dog.

"Yes, Rabbi," Peabody answered humbly. "Your servant is listening."

"Bless you for what you have done today, Peabody." Jesus said. "For these children will grow up to do great and mighty things for My Kingdom."

"Thank you, Rabbi. For all that You have done," Peabody answered. And Jesus disappeared from their sight.

**Mr. Peabody's Penthouse, Thursday 17 April 2014, 2:00 PM**

As the time travelers stepped out of the WABAC, Penny was talking nonstop. She had been unable to contain her excitement ever since Jesus had left them.

"That was incredible!" Penny exclaimed. Jesus was dead, but now He's alive and He was standing so close to us!"

"I know, Penny, I know!" Sherman answered her. "He still is. He's right in this room right now!"

"But how? We're in the present," Penny questioned.

"The WABAC doesn't bring us to Jesus, Miss Peterson," Mr. Peabody explained. "Belief does. When you believe in Jesus, make Him your Lord and Savior, He's with you all the time. He told us so in His Word. The last words He spoke before He went to be with God. 'I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'"

"Wow!" Penny breathed. "This is incredible. I-I've never felt like this before."

"It's called joy, Penny," Sherman explained.

"Well, what do I do now?" Penny asked.

"Well, one thing you could do is come to church with us this Sunday," Sherman offered. "I'd really like you to come."

"Of course," Penny answered. "But what else?"

"Well, I think you should tell your parents about it," Mr. Peabody continued. "I think they'd like to know."

"Yeah…but who do I tell after that?" Penny wondered. Sherman and Mr. Peabody chuckled.

"The world, Penny," Sherman answered her. "Tell the whole world."

**Epilogue**

**Calvary Baptist Church, Easter Sunday, 20 April 2014, 9:25 AM**

Sherman and Mr. Peabody were waiting just outside the church for Penny and her parents to show up. Sherman was becoming a little nervous.

"Where is she, Mr. Peabody?" Sherman asked. "The service starts in five minutes."

"I'm sure she'll be here, Sherman," Mr. Peabody answered. "Just be patient."

"Sherman! Penny!" the two heard a voice call out.

"Hi Penny!" Sherman greeted as Penny and her parents walked up to them. Sherman was struck by the beautiful white dress Penny was wearing, and it took him a minute to recover.

"Hello Paul, Patty," Mr. Peabody greeted the parents.

"Hey, Peabody! How's it going?" Paul answered. "Listen, I don't know what you did to my daughter the other day, but I want to thank you for it."

"Yes," Patty agreed. "The change in her is like night and day."

"Well, that's what happens when the Spirit moves," Peabody replied.

"Amen," the two parents agreed.

"Penny, I have something for you," Sherman said, holding his hands behind his back.

"Oh, what is it Sherman?" Penny asked as Sherman handed her a gift wrapped package.

"Here, open it," Sherman replied, barely able to contain his excitement. "It was my idea, but Mr. Peabody helped me pick it out," he explained as Penny tore the wrapping paper off the gift.

"Oh, it's a Bible!" Penny smiled when she saw what it was. It was an NIV Adventure Bible for kids to be precise. "And it even has my name engraved on the cover!"

"Look inside the cover," Sherman told her.

Penny opened the front cover and read the inscription. "For Penny Peterson, I give you this gift from my heart that was given to me from Our Lord and Father in Heaven - the gift of life and truth. Read God's Word and cherish its promises in the knowledge that we will both live together forever in Heaven. Love, Sherman."

"Yeah, Mr. Peabody helped me with that too," Sherman explained sheepishly.

"Oh, Sherman, I love it!" Penny exclaimed as she wrapped Sherman in a hug. "Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome, Penny," Sherman returned the hug.

"Come on you two," Mr. Peabody called after them. "The service is starting!" And the two children followed their parents into the sanctuary.

**To Be Continued?**

Authors Note: Well, that's it. I hope you all enjoyed it. If you read this and you would like to have what Penny found in this story, you can pray this simple prayer:

"Dear God, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I admit to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins and the life that I have lived; I ask for your forgiveness. I believe that your only Son Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins, and I am now willing to turn from my sin. You said in Your Holy Word that if we confess to You and believe in our hearts that You raised Jesus from the dead, we shall be saved. Right now I confess Jesus as the Lord of my soul. With my heart, I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. This very moment I accept Jesus Christ as my own personal Savior and according to His Word, right now I am saved. Amen."

If you have any questions at all about what you just read, please don't hesitate to ask. Other than that, review if you like, and may God bless you all in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ!


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